


An Army of Me

by theloverneverleaves



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec likes simple things, Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Showers, and i love him
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2018-12-30 15:31:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12111762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theloverneverleaves/pseuds/theloverneverleaves
Summary: People have a thousand different pieces to make up a whole. Alec is no different.(a series of ficlets for #alecappreciation2017)week two: malec soft pillow talk





	1. Daily Alec Lightwood

**Author's Note:**

> so i'm starting a collection for the [alec appreciation weeks](http://dailyaleclightwood.tumblr.com/post/164792789216/its-brought-to-our-attention-that-a-lot-of-people) run by daily alec lightwood!! it is my dearest wish that i'll do a short piece every week, but we'll see. they'll all be added here either way, so hopefully you guys will see regular updates xoxo
> 
> this is the shower fic i wanted to see on the show after someone mentioned baths, soap and alec's routine. can you believe he gets to have this???
> 
> as always, you can find me at [isabellebiwoods](http://isabellebiwoods.tumblr.com/)!!! xoxo

The steaming hot spray of a long, hot shower was a luxury Alec had gotten used to  _ very  _ quickly. In truth, he’d always liked showering. After a long day of training, working and going on hunts that made his muscles scream, the heat of the water always had a way of making him unwind like nothing else could. And not just because the feeling of getting demon ichor out of his hair was always a welcome one.

But the fact was that the Institute was still the Institute. Alec had been raised on principles of duty and necessity. He didn't get many luxuries in his life. In fact, he'd arguably spent most of his time denying himself things he wanted in favour of the things he knew he had to do. There was never time to stand under the shower for thirty minutes. And he certainly didn't have a bathtub. Although he was sure there was one in the Institute somewhere, Alec had never had the time.

It was always  _ time.  _ Either there was paperwork to do or missions to go on, intel reports to review or training to go to. There was always something, and Alec just didn't have the luxury of taking the kind of showers he wanted to take. Instead it was all pure efficiency. He had a task to do, and he did it and then got back to work. That task was also usually removing demon goo from places demon goo did not belong.

All that, of course, was before he met Magnus Bane.

The door of the bathroom swung open, the air swirling around in circles due to the temperature difference between the bedroom and the steam filled interior. The mirror was fogged up, moisture clinging to the small window in the corner. 

“Woah. Are you trying to make a sauna?” Magnus’ voice drifted across the room and Alec looked up, eyes catching on the sight of his boyfriend first thing in the morning. Alec had always thought Magnus was attractive. That first day, seeing him obliterate a circle member with a wave of his hand, in fitted jackets and perfect couture. Later, seeing him in loose shirts with necklaces dripping everywhere, rings on every available finger, makeup highlighting his features. Seeing Magnus in every single colour of the rainbow, eyeliner carefully and precisely painted on like war paint. The clothes and style made up Magnus’ armour, things he just did not go into battle with the real world without. 

All of that meant seeing Magnus like  _ this _ , a loose pair of pyjama pants riding low on his hips, hair flat and not a hint of makeup in sight, still felt like the most intimate privilege to Alec. This was a Magnus no one else got to see. This was a sign of trust between them, and Alec never took that for granted, as demonstrated by the soft smile on his lips and the way his pulse picked up just a little. Alec ducked his head a little, hiding under the spray of water in Magnus’ shower enclosure. It was a massive thing, a walk in recessed in the wall of the bathroom. Alec didn’t think he’d ever been in a shower that had been big enough for him to actually stretch his arms out properly. Not before this one, anyway.

“Sorry,” Alec said automatically, but Magnus immediately waved him off. 

“It’s fine. I know you like hot things,” Magnus commented with a wink, and Alec couldn’t help but laugh. Hot things like his boyfriend, sure. Mostly, Alec just liked the shower hot to try and work the strain out of his body. It helped him relax, and Magnus had most certainly never complained. 

Magnus slipped off the pyjamas easily, stepping into the shower beside Alec and reaching over for the soap. Alec had gotten used to Magnus’ taste in expensive shower gels and scrubs too. The first time Alec had used one in the morning, Izzy had noticed it almost immediately and eyed him with what looked like pride. Thankfully, she never mentioned it in public, which saved him some of his blushes. Not that there was anything wrong with how Magnus smelled - Magnus smelled  _ amazing _ . But he smelled like… Magnus. Alec had always been more of a plain soap and water kind of guy. 

Not that he didn’t understand the appeal. Really, Magnus was spoiling him with all these luxuries. He was going to end up with much higher standards than the Institute. But then, maybe he should just move in with Magnus.

Later. Alec would bring it up later. He stayed at Magnus’ place often enough for this to be common, part of his routine. They showered together a lot, especially since Magnus’ insanely large shower was more than big enough for the both of them. 

Watching as Magnus dove in with the soap, Alec couldn’t help but steal a little from the bottle himself, reaching out as he slowly massaged the product into Magnus’ shoulders, enjoying the fact that he got to give his boyfriend a backrub. God, this was the kind of thing he’d never believed he could have. Showering, with his boyfriend in the morning before going to work. Not waking up alone, having someone other than Izzy and Jace to go  _ home _ to at night. It still felt like a dream. And if it was a dream… Alec never wanted to wake up.

“You’re up early today,” Alec commented idly, still working the soap in. He could feel Magnus relaxed in satisfaction as he hummed idly, dipping under the hot spray of water. 

“Early client. Plus I wanted to say good morning,” Magnus said easily, turning to face Alec. Alec smiled. 

“Well, good morning,” Alec murmured in response, smiling before leaning in for a kiss. They just barely managed to keep their faces from the worst of the shower spray, mouths moving together in that sensual, beautiful way that Alec so loved. He pulled Magnus a little closer, but in the process managed to elbow Magnus’ soap collection. One of the bottles went flying, and Alec automatically reached out, stopping the precious thing from hitting the porcelain tray. Magnus blinked, pulling back, eyes darting between Alec and the soap.

“Good reflexes,” Magnus commented idly, and Alec smiled, replacing the bottle in its rightful place. 

“Shadowhunter,” Alec replied easily, and Magnus smiled slyly. 

“Oh, I know,” Magnus murmured, fingers trailing oh so softly over the lines of the agility rune on Alec’s abdomen. Despite the heat, Alec shivered. He’d never quite realised how sensitive rune marked skin could be until Magnus had started handling them like china, mapping out every single curve of every single one on his body.

And he had a  _ lot _ of runes.

“Magnus, I have to go to the Institute,” Alec whined a little, trying to keep the hitch out of his voice. Stay on task, Lightwood. He had early meetings this morning, and had promised to spend some time with Jace. 

“I don’t need to meet my client for an hour,” Magnus countered.

Oh, fuck it.

Alec leaned in, kissing Magnus again, drinking in every inch of his damp, early morning look. He was irresistible, as always. But then, when had Alec expected anything less?

It was just another morning. And Alec could help but be grateful to whatever twist in the universe that had allowed him to have this, whenever he wanted. Alec loved his life. And he hadn’t been able to say that for a very, very long time. 

He was twenty minutes late to the Institute. And Alec didn’t care in the least.


	2. Malec

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we are, week two!!!!!! the prompt this week was for malec, so my lovely [charl](http://lightwoodlesbians.tumblr.com/) helped me narrow things down a bit. she asked for a discussion of the wedding kiss being alec's first kiss, so i kind of went with it and Tried. i tried Really Hard.
> 
> as always, catch me at [isabellebiwoods](http://isabellebiwoods.tumblr.com/). until next week amigos xoxo

The heavy silence of the small hours of the morning had fallen over the apartment, and Alec lay back and breathed in deeply. The bed was soft underneath his spine, the sheets smooth and everything feeling so  _ comfortable _ . It was almost unnerving. Alec didn’t think he’d ever been in a bed this comfortable. The solid wooden frames and sturdy mattresses of the Institute weren’t built for comfort. They were built for practicality. Besides, Alec was usually lucky if he got six hours of sleep a night, between training, night patrols and his other frequent duties as Acting Head of the Institute - at least, when the position was his. Even when it wasn’t, the other Shadowhunters of the Institute relied on him.

He didn’t need the kind of bed you could be comfortable in and relax in for the better part of a day, simply because Alec never  _ had _ a day to waste lying around in bed. Magnus, however, had all the time in the world. Magnus also wasn’t the kind of person to deny himself the things he wanted in life. A comfortable place to sleep seemed like the least extravagant thing he could do.

Not that either of them were doing much sleeping quite yet.

Alec hadn’t precisely intended to stay over after their date. The Institute needed him, there were missions to check in on, reports to file, duties calling his name. Magnus had more or less needed to blackmail him into going to the Hunter’s Moon in the first place. But after their talk at the bar, Alec had offered to walk Magnus home and walking him home had quickly turned into walking him upstairs. He’d felt nervous the whole way home. He’d never had anyone like Magnus, never felt like this before. Magnus had changed  _ everything  _ for him. But Magnus… Magnus had history. He was a completely different person, coming from a completely different place in his life. 

But then, the differences were what made them people. Differences were what made a relationship. Izzy and Jace were completely different to him, but that didn’t make Alec love them any less. Why would Magnus be any different?

Alec had intended to leave then and there, when they got home. But suddenly leaving had felt wrong, when there was such a question mark over their relationship. Alec had wanted to clear the air. To make it clear that none of it mattered to him, nothing but  _ Magnus _ mattered to him.

And then Jace showed up and whatever plans he’d had were thrown out of the window before he could even make them.

It had been generous of Magnus to offer Jace a room. Alec knew exactly why Magnus was doing it too - not for Jace, but for  _ him _ . Jace only ever came to Magnus’ when he needed something, and it felt strange, to have his brother just down the hall in this space. Magnus’ apartment had felt like a sacred retreat for so long, away from his family and the hassles of the Institute. Jace waltzing in felt like an invasion, although not in a bad way. The gentle throb of his parabatai rune gave away just how much Jace was feeling at the moment - which meant the blonde wasn’t asleep yet either. 

Alec still didn’t know what had happened. It was late, and he hadn’t asked. It was only through virtue of Jace’s appearance that Magnus had been able to convince him to stay, that the Institute would survive without him for one night, and that Jace would need him in the morning more than that place would. 

And so that was how Alec had ended up lying in Magnus’ bed, in a pair of borrowed sleep pants that were a little too short at the ankle. He really needed to bring some of his own stuff over. For emergencies. Obviously.

“Thank you,” Alec murmured into the dark, hand moving under the covers, accidentally bumping Magnus’. Alec turned his eye, gazing at the profile of the man beside him. They still hadn’t done…  _ anything _ , really, and there was no question of it with his brother down the hall. But Magnus had never brought it up, and Alec was comfortable enough just sharing a bed for now. It was a lot to get used to. He’d never really slept with anyone at his side before.

He didn’t think his siblings counted, anyway.

“For letting Jace stay,” Alec clarified after a brief pause and a slight frown on Magnus’ face which immediately cleared. He smiled softly, reaching out across the gap in the bed, fingers gently brushing again, only this time decidedly less accidental.

“That’s quite alright,” Magnus assured him. “After all, I have the space.”

Given that Magnus seemed to be able to remodel entire rooms with a flick of his wrist, Alec doubted that space was ever a problem for the High Warlock of Brooklyn. His apartment probably broke the laws of physics somewhere. That was Magnus all over though. Breaking rules and creating his own. 

“He’s just been through so much lately…” Alec murmured softly. Clary, Valentine, ending up on his ship, that desperate run to save Alec’s life, being branded a traitor and having to reclaim his position… Alec could understand that things had been rough. But they’d get better. They were Lightwoods. They accepted the consequences of their actions, and then worked to make things better. It was that simple.

“At least he has you,” Magnus replied easily, and Alec sighed. 

“I wasn’t there for him when he needed me. I let Clay get between us and then when he needed me I couldn’t -”

“Alec, none of that was your fault,” Magnus cut in, looking over with concern. Alec sighed a little, staring up at the ceiling. He’d been hearing that a lot lately. That it wasn’t his fault. But he needed someone to blame, and why shouldn’t it be him? If he’d only been faster, more vigilant, more dedicated… maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe Valentine would have never taken Jace, maybe Jocelyn would still be alive. If he’d only been better. 

“I shouldn’t have waited until the wedding to -” Alec stopped himself, thinking about that day all over again. Lydia dressed in pale gold, Jace at his side. His family supporting his decision, knowing his sacrifice and knowing it wasn’t what he wanted. But Alec couldn’t see a world where he could ever have what he wanted. It wasn’t his fate. He’d always known  _ that _ was, marrying a respectable girl from a respectable family, to carry on the line and run the Institute at his side. His family’s reputation downslide hadn’t created that, no matter what Izzy thought. It had always been his fate. 

Following his heart just wasn’t something he could afford to dream of. Not until Magnus. Magnus had changed everything. Magnus  _ was _ everything. Magnus had made him brave enough to start to take decisions for  _ himself _ and not everyone else around him. Magnus had pulled that out of him, encouraged that in him. Not Jace, not Izzy - Magnus. 

And Magnus would never lie to him. Maybe he did need to stop being so hard on himself.

“I’m sorry, is that weird to bring up?” Alec asked softly, and Magnus smiled, shaking his head a little.

“Hardly,” Magnus encouraged gently. Alec smiled. Magnus was always so open, so willing to listen to whatever Alec wanted to talk about. It was strange for him, when he’d spent most of his life dealing with people who cared about their own opinions more than anything else in the room. He could understand, if Magnus didn’t want to talk about his almost wedding to Lydia Branwell. It brought up a whole load of what ifs and could have beens, none of them things Alec liked to consider. But it had been an important event in his life, in his journey. Without it… well, who knew where he’d be.

“That wedding fixed a lot of relationships in my life,” Alec murmured. He’d felt so alone, isolated. Jace off doing lord knows what with the Fray girl, Izzy on trial, Magnus being… well, Magnus. The wedding was when all those things had resolved. He’d gotten his sister back, his parabatai at his side and the day had ended with the man of his dreams at his side. 

Not bad for one little thing, really.

“Can I ask you something?” Magnus murmured after a moment, and Alec nodded tentatively, peering through the dim light to catch a glimpse of Magnus’ face, and those warm brown eyes. Magnus didn’t usually ask for permission. It was a slightly worrying sign. “What you said at the bar… that Lydia was your only ex…”

“Magnus,” Alec started, panic rising a little. This was why Alec had never mentioned it. He didn’t want to make a big deal out of it all, his inexperience and woeful romantic history. He didn’t want it to be an obstacle, when they had so many. Magnus clearly detected the mood of Alec’s tone, because he quickly corrected himself.

“No, no. I meant what I said. I don’t care how many people you haven’t been with. But I was just wondering… was the wedding your first kiss?”

Alec held his breath for a moment before letting it go all at once. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t thought about kissing before. Of course he had, it was only natural. But dreams didn’t become reality through wishing, and Alec had never really had the means or the opportunity to get any practice. He’d always been so worried about what would happen if someone found out he was gay. It didn’t leave a lot of room for trying to find boys to kiss in the Institute, or Idris. And he wasn’t like Izzy and Jace. He didn’t get out much.

Or he hadn’t, before Magnus.

“Was it that obvious?” Alec murmured, a little embarrassed. Magnus chuckled, rolling onto his side to get a decent look at the man at his side. Alec tilted his head, shifting to get a look at the expression of pure joy and affection on Magnus’ face.

“Just the opposite actually. It’s part of why I assumed you had more exes than just Lydia.”

Oh. Did that mean he was a good kisser? Well, chalk one victory up to extreme fantasising and liberal internet usage. After which he had always purged his browsing history, but those were things best left undiscussed.

“I’m sorry if it’s weird,” Alec couldn’t help but apologise, eyes darting to the ceiling, but Magnus just reached out, gently touching, encouraging Alec to meet his eyes. Alec willingly followed, turning in the bed to face his boyfriend, hands brushing, fingers touching. Electricity spread through him at the point of contact, and Alec fought back a shiver. Magnus always made him feel so… alive.

“It’s my privilege to have been your first kiss, Alexander,” Magnus said, with such warmth in his voice that Alec couldn’t help but lean forward and kiss him, recreating that moment in some way. Magnus was special and extraordinary and if Alec was being honest, he’d gladly wait for him a thousand times over.

They said you always remembered your first. Alec couldn’t picture a universe where he’d ever forget Magnus Bane, regardless of whether he was first, second or a hundredth. But he was glad Magnus had the chance to be all of those things, either way.

Magnus smiled into the kiss and they gently broke apart after a moment, bodies lying just a little closer together. 

“I should thank you, really,” Alec murmured. “You changed everything for me. You made it all… real,” Alec explained, sure that his words didn’t cover how he felt. For so long, everything he wanted had been some silly fantasy he could never accept, let alone dream of having. And then Magnus had come along and shaken that all up. No matter what happened, Alec was always going to be grateful for that.

He was a different person because Magnus was in his life. And that was a good thing.

“You would have gotten there on your own,” Magnus replied easily, and Alec conceded the point a little. It wasn’t like he’d come out for  _ Magnus _ . The wedding hadn’t really been about Magnus, it had been about him taking what he wanted for a change. But Magnus had encouraged him, guided him where he could. And it mattered. “You changed a lot for me too, Alexander Lightwood,” Magnus added, and Alec chuckled.

“Oh yeah?”

“First kiss in an Institute. First kiss with a Shadowhunter, too,” Magnus said, and Alec smiled. 

“What do you think so far, High Warlock?” Alec asked, tone gently teasing. He knew Magnus was trying to make him feel better, but it was still fun to think about. First Shadowhunter. But he supposed the attitudes of the past didn’t leave many of his ancestors open to getting intimate with the Downworld.

“Oh, those kisses definitely need more… investigation, Shadowhunter,” Magnus replied, tone equally light and teasing. “But tomorrow. We should get some sleep. You need to get back to the Institute in the morning.”

Alec sighed a little, nodding. He’d complain more if Magnus wasn’t right. Which he was, of course he was. It was already far later than he’d intended, and he’d need to get back early after his extended absence. He needed all the sleep he could get.

“Goodnight, Magnus,” Alec murmured, curling under the duvet a little.

“Sweet dreams, Alexander,” Magnus replied, words whispered like a prayer.

They fell asleep with their hands still joined, and Alec felt like he was home.


End file.
